The captain stands up as Giles says he is finished, but does not hasten to leave and as Giles asks his question Brashear responds with a nod.  "The caravan that you came in with comes once a month - they will always take back to Raphael whatever is needed, including mail.  We'll have occasion here and there to send someone to the unit stationed there as well and will generally have our volunteer take correspondence with them to deliver in the city.  Likewise, if anyone takes liberty in the city they will usually ask around to see if anyone needs something delivered or purchased, I would encourage you to do the same if you get that opportunity."

With no other questions offered, the Captain shakes Giles's hand and opens up the doorway, offering for Giles to leave first as Brashear walks behind him to make his way back into the Fort to see to his many duties.

---

December 7th
2008 A.D.
Foothills on the Megalan Border

Captain Brashear had been good to his word.  After checking out a mail suit at the armory he had been introduced to the rest of the company staff including the executive officer, Lieutenant Dorian, First Sergeant Spratt and the handful of corporals and sergeants that handled company funding, infrastructure, pay, documents, and training.  Giles found that his first task as the logistics sergeant was logging the entire inventory of the caravan he had just accompanied for the past several days.  Though it seemed straightforward, first Sergeant Pratt found numerous errors when Giles went to ask him a question and it ended up taking more time unraveling his mistakes as it had writing the log in the first place.

Giles was much happier to hear that he had been put on the patrol unit for the next day with the first squad, second platoon, which would not only allow him to meet some of the soldiers other than staff, but would also allow him to get his feet wet and prove his metal.

So now Giles found himself, astride Firebrand and accompanying four more of the soldiers from the fort.  Lieutenant Broskow, the platoon officer for second platoon, Corporal Pierce, Corporal Edenburg, and Private Redman.  The team had started out that morning heading west from the fort before they were to turn south and then back east along the Makarem.  The five are now several miles west of the fort, well into the hills that mark the borderlands between Caithness and Megalos.  Corporal Edenburg drifts back astride with Giles, letting his bow rest on his saddle horn as he starts up a conversation.  "So what's the story Sergeant?  You from around here?"

OOC:  No worries about the posting,  Up to this point it's been mostly me setting the stage where I only need a few inputs from you for rudder.  Don't feel like you need to write a novella every time you post but hopefully I'll leave enough leeway for you to write something of significance.  I need a few rolls from you here.  Feel free to use a social skill in place of the reaction rolls if desired.

1.  Reaction: Broskow
2.  Reaction: Edenburg
3.  Reaction: Pierce
4.  Reaction: Redman
5.  Riding
6.  Perception

This message was last edited by the GM at 14:51, Sat 28 Mar 2020.

Giles had become frustrated for the first few days. Logistics, logging, records and all of those scribe things. He wondered inwardly if he had been assigned that role because people often thought of wizards as quill pushers who liked to act above their station. He remembered the easy manner of the Captain and dismissed the thoughts as a long series of unfortunately paranoid considerations.

The moment when he finished, Giles revelled in the sense of relief, it was different to that of gaining the hang of a spell and being able to show it to his mentors and peers – there was no bravado or glory to be had from filling in numbers correctly and yet what little sense of relishment he gained from a job well done was quickly destroyed by Pratt upon highlighting a number of numbers.
He recalled acutely the reaction, not sure whether to be dismissive or apologetic, Giles resigned to try and keep his relationship with other sergeants equal.
I’ll do better in future… he said flatly and left it there.

Giles was relieved to be on patrol. He was used to being inside and being around books so it wasn’t to rid himself of that, only to wash away some of the shame of fouling up the accounts as much as he did. It would be good to see if he had something else to contribute. In the back of his mind, Giles knew that he’d pick up the books quickly enough and soon be as good as anyone else but the lag phase, where he would have to make sure he assimilated into the group readily was arguably the most important in his service here.

Before setting off Giles had sneakily checked on the other men to make sure that he missed no equipment that was needed. It was December and cold and so he had taken with him a heavy cloak that would be a good wrap for him but one thing he noticed was the bow Edenburg had brought. He hadn’t thought to get one from the quartermaster and so before they were to set off Giles made his way and attempted to acquisition one. Otherwise he would match the equipment of the group.


Edenburg asked him the question and Giles grinned Not around here corporal. Was born up in Kethalos lived around there for a while helping my father deal with nomad-man raids. Before long I’d found myself in Azer having to figure out what I needed to do with my life. It was then I figured the legion might be a good match.

I’ve never been this far west before, to tell the truth I’ve never before seen one of these Wazifi… what about you? How long you been here?

He glossed over many of the details of his life, neglecting to mention his actual time in the army, his noble birth or the fact that he had been a wizard – a failed one at that – but with a casual easiness tried to deflect the conversation back to Edenburg. While half-elf was open and conversational it paid to not spew all the gossip from his life like a young house made in one sitting. Giles was genuinely curious and showed it and was happy to engage in conversation to get to know the men better.

what of the rest of you? he asked coolly observing the same easy manner he’d seen the Captain use. (OOC: it’s not copying, he just noted how impressed he was with the way Captain Brashear composed himself and is working towards something like that)

[13 blank lines suppressed]



OOC:

Reactions:
19:27, Today: Giles 'J'naeth' Hind rolled 16 using 3d6.  Reaction 4. // Lt Broskow
19:27, Today: Giles 'J'naeth' Hind rolled 13 using 3d6.  Reaction 3 . //  EdenBurg
19:27, Today: Giles 'J'naeth' Hind rolled 8 using 3d6.  Reaction 2. // Pierce
19:27, Today: Giles 'J'naeth' Hind rolled 12 using 3d6.  Reaction 1 . // Redman
+2 rank, +1 charisma, +1 attractiveness =
20
17
12
16

Riding: 19:29, Today: Giles 'J'naeth' Hind rolled 16 using 3d6.  Riding. // uh oh….
19:30, Today: Giles 'J'naeth' Hind rolled 11 using 3d6.  Perception/observation/scrounging?


OOC: Also a little kudos (i'd give you 5cps but as the GM it might not count for much ;)) that is the first game I think i've ever played where I've had to roll reactions. First time i think my charisma and/or appearance has ever mattered. Thank you!


This message was last edited by the player at 19:58, Sun 29 Jan 2017.

Corporal Edenburg whistles as he hears the trek that Giles had undergone, Kethalos to Azer and then leaps and bounds beyond back the other direction to his current station at Three Corners.  "That's quite a journey."  Edenburg puts simply.  "Most of us here aren't from farther than Arvey, though I think there might be one or two of the newer privates who hail from Quartedec.  I guess that's the new army, moving everyone to the front...  They say we're preparing for war, though with as calm as the other side of the Makarem has been I can't imagine it's with the clans."  When Giles asks of Edenburg's own history he merely shrugs.  "I'm from up north, New Jerusalem.  You'd have thought war was around the corner the way people talk up there, Hospitallers more than any of them, still haven't seen much to say of it down here in the past year and a half.  There have been a few run ins, but the clansmen stay for the most part south of the river, only ever seen a few north of it and generally they back off real quick when they see a few soldiering types.  I hear they capture slaves to take slaves back south of the border, but we've never caught 'em at it and to be fair there aren't many people here other than from the fort."

Up ahead, the Lieutenant stops, calling up Corporal Pierce from the middle of the pack as the rest of the soldiers stop in line.  Corporal Edenburg continues as his mare slows to a stop.  "It's not that bad here though, three square meals, the recent cooks aren't even half bad most of the time.  You'd be surprised how they can dress up a potato like new...  I can't tell you how morale improved when they planted that garden in the courtyard."  Up ahead, the lieutenant's voice has raised from a calm murmur to a harsh, cutting whisper.  Corporal Pierce's response, though it is quiet enough not to hear the exact words, his tone could only be described as reconciling.  Caught up by the conversation ahead, Corporal Edenburg pauses for a moment, craning an ear to try and catch some of the conversation ahead.

It is perhaps another moment of harsh undertones before Lieutenant Broskow stops, realizing that he has an audience in the three men trailing.  "It seems,"  The Lieutenant starts, completely audible now, and intending for the whole squad to hear him.  "That Corporal Pierce has made a few errors in his map reading and we have found ourselves some three miles north of our intended path.  I will tell you men that it is no matter and that we are already making course adjustment.  I only hope that the Corporal will not make such a mistake on our way back north from the Makarem..."  The lieutenant turns abruptly, making his way forward again into the opposing foothills.

Before starting off again, Edenburg leans in towards Giles and whispers "I had thought we were a little north."

The next hour is an arduous affair, the pace quickens just it seems the terrain gets worse with both hills and rock and Giles begins to sweat through his underclothes and the sores on his bottom begin to reignite despite the past weeks of consistent riding.  The Lieutenant stops their pace in a saddle between two hills giving Giles a welcome respite from the unforgiving lope.  He looks off in each direction, trying to gain some familiarization with his surroundings though he knows it unlikely that he will grow accustomed to any route before being tested.  His eyes come to rest on a small cave in the valley ahead and to the right.  Giles's attention seems to last on that object just a fraction of a second too long, for when he draws his gaze back, he sees Firebrand's ears laid back flat and though he tries to take a tight hold on the reign, the horse has somehow managed to get the bit in his teeth and seems to have a mind of his own...  Firebrand whinnies loudly shaking his head back and forth.  Giles holds fast to the reigns, half expecting the worst as the horse rears up on its hind legs before bolting as fast as it's legs will carry it.

OOC:  Ok, more rolls, make one more riding roll at -3 to stay seated.  if that roll is successful, then roll one more time for me, straight riding this time to see if you can regain control of the horse.

Gile shrugged dismissively at the notion that it was a long journey You go where life takes you, I suppose. I’ve had a lot of opportunity to see Megalos and different parts of it. It’s a blessing more than curse, I think. he said coolly as walking along the Lieutenant. But in response to the notion that many of the lads at the Three-Sided Fort are locals Giles added It seems wise to keep locals protecting the area. They’ll know the land, be familiar with the customs and culture and have stronger investment in protecting the people as it’s made up of their kin and friends. he observed, taking time to glance at the other members of his scouting group.

(OOC: Could I make some general observations about the men? Temperament, experience, prowess, etc?

OOC: also, ‘the clans’ these are the muslim wazifi clans, right?)

New Jerusalem, that’s West, near Caithness, right? Not seen it on a map, but I’ve heard a couple of the cities mentioned from round there. he asked continuing the casual conversation before addressing more about the Wazifi border.
”Well perhaps it’s calm before the storm. Granted, I know very little of this place but it seems that if one was building a force they wouldn’t want to squander any of their numbers first in border skirmishes. Nor would they probably want to have the enemy on high alert before an incursion.

Back in Kethalos there were so many raids from the Northmen that everybody was always on high alert and ready to respond quickly. It took the workings of a bastard fool to ever keep a weapon too far away in lieu of raiding threats. But over that time there were no big engagements.

he commented, his eyes wandered as he thought the scenarios and reasons and tried to enter the mind of an opponent. In truth he was voicing his own thoughts aloud, talking to himself more but it applied to the conversation to hand also.

There’s a garden now? Who tends it and what do they grow there Giles asked curiously before he felt Firebrand gentling to a stop beside Edenburg. The comment from Edenburg was met with a grin from Giles – to those familiar with the area it might have been an unforgivable sin but it happened reasonably often no doubt, especially with lack of familiarity or low-fidelity maps.  Giles was just glad that he’d not been asked to guide the group.

(OOC: Can I make a soldier/savoir faire roll to figure out whether it’d be a good thing to casually pat Pierce’s shoulder as I pass him? Like a gesture to say “don’t worry, you might get a bollocking but  we all make mistakes, just do better next time?” - like there is supposed to be the difference between Officers and NCO’s in terms of the dynamic of the relationship. Sergeants are supposed to be ‘one of the people’ even if elevated above them-  while officers are more distanced from them

If so the roll is:

)

As Giles rolled passed Pierce his grin dissipated but he couldn’t remove the slightly bemused look.


As the next hour passed the new sergeant could feel a roar in his legs as the sores on his flank rubbed against the saddle. It didn’t help that he was damp through sweating of the last bit of riding and each movement seemed to feel like the kiss of a thousand deaths – or perhaps he was just being dramatic. Though while the man could feel his jaw clenched, holding off the frustrations of the movement, his inexperience on a horse and the burning feeling shooting up his legs he resolved to show no weakness.

(acting roll:  )

Having caught glimpses of the cave to where the Lieutenant was looking Giles asked What is it……………... the trailing word was elongated as Firebrand reared and took to flight.

Bastard horse! he cursed as he tried to best hold himself to its flank and regain control of the beast.



So here we go...

15:09, Today: Giles 'J'naeth' Hind rolled 10 using 3d6.  observation of soldiers. // pass by 1
15:09, Today: Giles 'J'naeth' Hind rolled 8 using 3d6.  soldier skill . // pass by 7

15:10, Today: Giles 'J'naeth' Hind rolled 10 using 3d6.  actring. // pass by 2

Riding:

15:11, Today: Giles 'J'naeth' Hind rolled 10 using 3d6.  riding -3 . // FAIL

The conversation with Edenburg had carried on over the walk.  It was hard to really interpret much about the group.  They all seemed young, It seemed likely that only the lieutenant was older than Giles and he wasn't older by much.  The men seemed to carry themselves as competent riders not to mention professional soldiers.  Most of them are quiet and alert, even Edenburg scanning the foothills as he converses back and forth with Giles.  The Lieutenant was the only one that Giles really managed to get much of a read on.  The officer did not seem nearly as relaxed as the others and he seemed to make sounds of annoyance at interval, though it is hard to tell what the bother is.

At the mention of New Jerusalem, Edenburg had nodded.  "Yeah, up north on the border, acts like its own country though.  I don't think Megalos troubles themselves much about it either."  The conversation carries on to gardening and Edenburg had continued to nod along.  "It's in the Courtyard, I'm sure you passed it a few times and didn't notice.  Couple of trees and all sorts planted in the ground, beets, cabbage, peas, potatoes and whatnot.  The lifesaver though was the horseradish, spices things up a bit.  Sometimes salt is hard to come by around here.  One of the sergeants working the mess hall runs it most of the time, Alander.  There are a few others though that will tend it if needed.  I think there's more than a fair share of people here who worked agriculture."

At the spectacle in front of them Giles thinks for a moment to give encouragement to Pierce, though the other turns about and follows the Lieutenant before he has a chance.  A nagging though in the back of his mind keeps him from trying to catch up to the corporal... Giles hadn't even seen him holding a map or compass, and the corporal was only second in the line behind the lieutenant himself.

---

"Bastard horse!"  Giles barely has the words out of his mouth before his mount has his front legs reaching up in the air, kicking at some unseen terror.  Giles attempts to shift his weight, but his efforts are too late and he grasps wildly for a tighter grip on the reins though his efforts are in vain.  He tumbles back of the horse, landing on the flat of his back making him catch his breath as the horse takes off at a wild gallop toward the south.

"Damnit!"  The lieutenant curses, his eyes darting back to where Giles is lying before moving again to the swiftly departing equine.  "Can't you do anything right Hond?"  He snaps his head towards the other men and shouts again.  "Well, get the damn animal before it throws a shoe or worse!"  Pierce immediately turns his steed and lopes off followed closely by Redman.  Edenburg stays standing by Giles, ready to dismount and help but it seems readily apparent that it won't be necessary.  Though he was surprised, Giles find no harm done by the fall and is quickly back on his feet again.

"Wonder what spooked him?"  Edenburg almost echoes the words Giles had spoken just as the horse had reared gripping slightly tighter to the reins of his own horse as he looks off towards the cave.  "Think we should take a moment here sir since we're already stopped and the horses are going to be run down, or keep going?"

The Lieutenant glares at Edenburg fiercely though he does not answer the question.  "We'll see how long it takes them to round up the nag."  He finally spits staring off towards the south where Giles can just see Firebrand cresting another saddle between two hills at full speed, the two riders significantly behind...

OOC:  Would you mind putting OOC comments at the end of the post for me?  I normally make mine in green, but the coloring doesn't matter to me too much as the fact that the OOC stuff is separated and obvious.  That way it reads more like a story.  Let me know if I am going too fast for you with the pace, I tried to answer all your IC questions without backtracking too much.  I decided to forgo your decision to console Corporal Pierce based on your successes in observation and soldiering - based on everything that has happened, you are starting to suspect more and more that he had nothing to do with the charted course.  As for the men, other than what I've written IC you don't know a whole lot.  You asked about the Lieutenant before you came, and the info can be found in the persons/places/organizations of import thread.  The others you either didn't know were coming or haven't gotten a feel for yet.  I'll do my best to flush out the characters as we go along.  As for the 'clans' yes, they are the Wazifi tribes, often called Clans that are loosely conglomerated to form the nation.  They don't always work together and it isn't out of the realm of possibility for one of them to act independently from the Caliph (king).  I think I answered everything at this point, let me know if there is anything you want to know that is outstanding.
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:55, Thu 02 Feb 2017.

It took a full two moments for Giles to realise that the warmth of Firebrand had left his legs and feel the air around him as he reached out all his limbs. A moment that stopped time in his mind and gave him pause to think before the inevitable gut punching force of the ground hitting him square in the back.

Everybody had seen him fall from the horse, there was no getting over it and Giles let out of a curse of frustration as he felt the wave of pain crash through him. Then moving each part of his body in turn he assessed the damage - mostly okay - and was thankful that he hadn't broken anything.

"The name is Hind, sir" he replied to the officer with a level tone but had started wondering what might be wrong with him. Then, pulling back to an upright position the fallen soldier looks around with a slightly sheepish visage and answers Edenburg.

"Maybe there are wolves or bears nearby. Perhaps up in the cave there and Firebrand caught a whiff of it. He's a new horse and hasn't been wartrained so far as I know... he offered idly but had come to focus more intensely on the Lieutanant.

"Anything wrong Lieutenant?" he asked casually providing him opportunity to openly speak his concerns.



OOC:
No problem, i'll keep everythign at the bottom for OOC stuff.
The pace is great, i'm enjoying this a lot so far. There's mystery to it and despite there being a few characaters on a scouting trip the unfolding of things is exciting.

I'll make an observation roll to see if I can figure out exactly what kind of stuff is worrying him?  If, for example he was scred of the cave, he might be looking there more often than usual, if he had some gastro-intestinal issues, he might be wiggling in his saddle. :D

09:31, Today: Giles 'J'naeth' Hind rolled 9 using 3d6.  observation or something. // just in case

This message was last edited by the player at 09:32, Wed 01 Feb 2017.

Giles eyes the lieutenant questioningly, trying to discern the cause of all his ire but even watching him pace back and forth atop his horse there seems little evidence of any direct annoyance, other than perhaps being forced to wait now as Giles's horse was fetched.  As Giles corrects the officer, the man shows little interest and does not even respond as he shades his eyes to try and make out any progress of the other two soldiers.  "Can't even fetch a horse..."  Broskow mutters, not turning to address either Edenburg nor Giles.

Corporal Edenburg seems oblivious to the comment, and turns to respond to Giles, nodding his agreement.  "Could be wolves, or a bear, they are pretty much everywhere.  Bushwolves and striders are around here too at times, maybe even a lion.  Could be something to do with that cave I guess, makes as much sense as anything else."

Overhead, the sun drags towards it's apogee in the clear sky.  Though the midwinter morning is cool, the air is nearly completely dry and Giles already misses the waterskin he had tied on to his saddlebags.  The next few minutes pass awkwardly, with Lieutenant Broskow pacing and cursing under his breath at intervals, Edenburg attempting to make light of the situation with casual chat, even just to himself.  It is not quickly, but after a matter of minutes the small group of three eventually see a pair of men riding back over a distant hill and behind them they lead a third horse.  A few minutes later and Redman and Pierce have returned, though their horses are lathered with sweat and nickering as soon as they stop with Pierce's steed shaking his head roughly.  To Giles's pleasure, it seems that Firebrand shows no remnants of his panicked flight and seems almost playful as he nudges Pierce's quarterhorse with his nose.

Seemingly aware of the equine displeasure, Pierce dismounts, holding onto his reins as he hands over the reins of Firebrand to Giles.  "We're going to need to stop."  Pierce starts, though he doesn't seem to be speaking directly to Lieutenant Broskow.  "That horse had no mind to be caught, led us on for a few miles, didn't think we had much of a chance with ours being held down with all the extra weight, but then he just slows to a stop and starts munching on the grass out of nowhere.  Doesn't seem to be any worse for wear, but the others aren't happy to be sprinted that far, they need rest and water wouldn't hurt."

The muscles in Lieutenant Broskow's jaw clenches ever tighter during the short speech and a small vein surfaces on his forehead.  As he opens his mouth to address the matter, Edenburg cuts him off, his voice loud enough to cut the tension.  "Sir, why don' the horses rest here for a moment and Pierce and I can check out that cave down there?  If it was something to spook the horses wouldn't hurt to at least know what it was 'eh?  World could do well with one less bushwolf.  We could even take the Sergeant along for supervision."

For a moment, the lieutenant looks back and forth between his two corporals incredulously and though Giles fears the officer will begin to yell again, he eventually gives in to the will of his men.  "Fine."  Broskow spits.  "Leave all the horses here then, if it was something down there that spooked them I don't want them getting any closer.  Redman."  He says dismounting.  "Take all the reins, I don't want to take any chances."

Edenburg and Pierce don't need telling twice and immediately start making their way down the hill on foot.  "Coming Sergeant?"  Edenburg asks over his shoulder.
This message was lightly edited by the GM at 03:08, Sun 19 Feb 2017.

The situation and dynamic of the group was awkward and Giles couldn't figure out whether the Lieutenant was naturally confrontational and bitter or whether it was something else that was plaguing his mind. He supposed that given the nature of other people he'd met so far it would be hard for an officer to go far with such a bad attitude, but then that might be the naivety of his lacking experience. A moment's reflection and he recalled his own unearned rank. maybe it's the same he thought inwardly.

As Pierce and Redman brought the horse back Giles was sure to thank them sincerely "I guess being a little untrained means he gets spooked more easily. Thanks for retrieving him" he said as the men came closer. It seemed a much more appropriate way of addressing those who had just retrieved his own horse.

A familiar knot had arisen in Giles's gut that he remembered from back at the academy. The officer reminded him of the berating and overly harsh teachers, bullies essentially. It wrinkled him and hat fixed a tension of frustration inside him. Giles had to consciously remind himself that he didn't know Braskow and that it could be any number of reasons he was so severe. A pang of guilt shot through the sergeant as he did, realising that it was primarily his fault; he sighed lightly.


The corporal's suggestion was a good one and it would give everyone time to calm down. If indeed there was a threat of bushwolves or any other animal that could kill a man perhaps giving everyone something else to think about was the best thing to do. The sergeant felt a little silly that he wasn't the one to have suggested the little excursion, but nodded affirmatively at its mention.

"Of course corporal..." he said before checking his equipment and joining the small group.


OOC:

What equipment do we have again?
Did we take shields? Did the corporal take a shield to look at the bushwolves or do i get the feeling they're just doing it to make sure that the time spent resting the horses isn't done with the Lt?

Essentially the goal is that Giles is trying not to look like an out of place idiot and som he'll just keep awareness of most of the things they do and emulate them as best he can - where he feels that sergeants should take initiative, he'll do that too.

Giles considers the offer and quickly agrees, making his way down the hill behind the two corporals.  As he descends, Giles is struck by the odd shape of the cave and the serendipity that they saw it at all.  Indeed, the mouth of the cavern is covered by boulders and stones and nearly any other view would have obstructed it completely and Giles finds himself wondering if that possibility is by coincidence or design.

At the bottom of the small valley between the hills the grasslands seem to yield at least in part to stone with lime and clay dominating over the grey dry dirt that predominates the area.  Giles kicks at some of the earth, knocking clear a small patch of rock that tumbles ahead and spits dust in the air.  Ahead, Pierce has a torch on the ground and is sparking his flint, trying to catch the greased cloth on top.  Edenburg still holds his bow in his left hand, though it is slack.  He has an axe sitting in his belt near his right hand.

"No need with the Corporal and whatnot,"  Edenburg smiles as Giles reaches the caves.   "At least down here.  I'm Allen, and this is Gustaf.  The Lieutenant's a piece of work though, so keep up appearances near him eh?"  Edenburg finishes as Pierce grunts a few paces below, the torch finally catching spark and igniting.

"He's a motherfucker."  Pierce adds, the back of his head still facing the resting grounds with the lieutenant and private Redman.  Pierce stands up holding the torch high, shining it's light into the cave, though it's hard to make out anything much farther than a few paces.  "I need a few minutes away from that shit, thought I was going to hit him just now.  What's the orders sergeant?"

OOC:  Sorry not asking about the shield thing earlier, it would have been available at the armory so if you want one just let me know.  Please declare what weapons you have on you right now.  I'm assuming you have your spear in your right hand with your axe on your belt.  If you have a shield that may also be readied.  Also let me know what the marching order is.  Pierce has the torch in his right hand with nothing else, Edenburg has his bow in his left hand, a quiver on his back, and a hatchet on his right hip.  Both corporals area wearing leather armor.  All your stuff is listed on your character sheet and you are currently medium encumbrance.  Roll vs. Health for the morning ride for fatigue suffered.  I will note your character sheet for any fatigue lost.

Giles couldn't help but chuckle at the men's disdain for their officer. It was something that he had always heard was the case, the distance between officers and soldier, but here it was apparent. The sergeant didn't mind it, letting people vent was fine for sanity and the Lieutenant probably deserved it with his severe attitude.

Check out those stones... do they look natural? he considered out loud.

As they approached the ntrance of the cave Giles shrugged his shoulders and twisted his body to assess the weight of the chain that sat on him. It was heavy and he didn't like it, but he wouldn't show that - at least he hoped after some time of wearing it he'd get used to it.

"He always like that?" Giles asked with genuine curiosity before taking another step forward.

The half-elf had cursed and spat when he found out that he wouldn't get a sword and despite numerous efforts to get used to the weightedness of the axe he simply didn't feel comfortable holding it; Giles opted to keep the spear.

Alright Allen, you stay at the back with that bow. Make sure you're on the edge of the light, between the mouth of the cave and the torch you should have some reasonable sight into it. Don't get too far behind though.

I'll take the middle, and cover with the spear and you, Gustaf, keep that axe ready and light the way for us.


If this place goes much deeper and it gets too dark you might want to use your axe Allen.

he offered as they began to take their first steps.




OOC:

Okay cool, i'd like to make a tactics or soldier roll to make sure that Giles isn't doing anything stupid.

09:44, Today: Giles 'J'naeth' Hind rolled 11 using 3d6.  tactics/soldier.


09:44, Today: Giles 'J'naeth' Hind rolled 13 using 3d6.  HT.

Darn... i guess Giles is a bit tired.


BTw, left the shield on the horse :)


This message was last edited by the player at 12:41, Mon 06 Feb 2017.

Giles takes a moment to ask a few questions before getting down to tactics.  Though neither of the men have much of an opinion about the rock formations, when asking about Lieutenant Broskow, Pierce's face sours before replying, "Yeah, he's always like that.  Just have to find an excuse here and there to get the hell away for a minute."

Shifting the order slightly for the others, Giles puts Pierce in front holding the torch, himself in the middle with his spear, with Edenburg in the back keeping an eye out with his bow.  The cave mouth itself is large enough for each of the men to enter, even with the torch held aloft and it slopes gently down into the base of the hill.  It does not take long for the outside sunshine and moderate cool to fade into the dark chill of the underground.  Though the path is initially only wide enough for single file, it does not take long before the narrow entryway to open up into a wider antechamber.

The torchlight flickers gleefully off the walls in the small room, which is perhaps only twenty feet square.  There seems to be some remnants of habitation here and there, small storages scatter the floor near the entry wall and there seems to be a fire ring of sorts on the far side of the room.  However, the dust lining the floor is thick in places and it seems it may have been a while since it has seen use.  It seems there are tunnels that continue on to both sides of the room, both to your immediate left and right.

OOC:  It does not make me particularly proud to admit that I spent most of my time trying to figure out how to make this damn map display properly in thread rather than actually writing a cohesive post.  I suppose for now I'll make due with at least just moving the scene along.  I've got a link to the map that's close enough for government work below.  Let me know if you have any questions.

Link to Map Entryway Map

Giles didn't reply any further and instead focussed his eyes on the dakrness of the cave. Even with the lighting of the torch it was still a whole other world when compared with the outside. The first thing he noticed though was the distinct change in scent. Freshness was pushed away as they delved into the mouth of the cave and it gave Giles a very claustrophobic sensation. He pressed on though, not showing any discomfort infront of his men.

"My men" he repeated in his mind, getting used to the idea of being among peers, but above them in rank. It was a feeling and notion he'd still have to get comfortable with.


They got into the clearing and, for the most part, daytime had died away. The room had been settled, but as the thick layer of dust indicated probably unused in a while. "Gustaf, have a quick look in those containers... see if there's anything useful or valuable. Allen, keep an eye on that passage way." he said, trying to sound friendly with an undertone of authority, but given their situation Giles felt that his voice came out as more of a whisper. Prudence, he thought, outweighs blind boldness.

"I'll cover this one" he said indicating the other passage.



OOC:

No worries! the map is very clear and makes everything a bit more fun - lets us use some tactical decisions and the environment should anything happen that might try and send us back to the mud.

Giles takes charge naturally, giving each of the men a task - Gustaf to search the room and Allen to cover the tunnel going off to the left.  Meanwhile, Giles himself looks down the tunnel to the right though he finds his vision is obscured without the aid of the torch right next to him.  Still, he can make out that the tunnel stays wide enough for a single man to pass through easily and that the path winds slightly to the right and then curves back abruptly to the left.

"Nothin' in here."  Pierce mentions as he rustles through the containers.  "Looks like some food of some sort but it's long rotten."

On the other side of the room, it seems like Allen is having the same difficulty as Giles.  "Can't see shit over here, but seems like another room in the cave.  Think I'll put this bow away, not sure I'd be able to see anything far enough away to shoot it."  The corporal states as he slings the bow over his shoulder and grabs for his axe from his hip.

"Look at this here."  Pierce mentions as he continues searching up through the room.  "Looks like bones, skull of some sort maybe."  He flashes the torchlight towards the back of the room as he walks in that direction.  Giles can make out even from his vantage point the makings of a firepit near the back of the wall and a few white fragments that are scattered around the floor.  It seems the one that Pierce is talking about lies close to the firepit, obscured slightly by the ash and soot around it.

OOC:  Forgot to ask for a couple of things when you came down here.  Can you tell me whether you have your spear in a one or two handed grip and if two handed, also whether you are holding it in a one or two hex grip?  As a side note, if you want to whisper please use <small> tags around your conversation.  Otherwise I'll treat it as normal speech.
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:44, Sat 11 Feb 2017.

Giles looked over to where Pierce had indicated the bones and then went over to inspect them himself, on the way he nodded to Edenburg and said quietly "Keep an eye on that passage".

Upon reachinh the bones Giles looked closely trying to assess what kind of bones they were and maybe how old or how they would seem to come to demise. "Wonder what did this... I guess people just stayed here for shelter.

We'll need to check the other passages too.






OOC: OKay no problem.

As for the stance - he was aiming for a full range with the spear and would be holding it 2 handed. Naturally if he gets into close area he'll naturally just shorten his range a little bit so he's not hitting walls all over the place.

Ultimately, if he's in an openish area (in a cave, right? ) he'll stand between the other two with as big range as feasible in the area to make sure he can support them both.

Giles walks towards the splayed out fragments of bones trying to discern what animal they came from and what has happened to them since.  One thing is for certain, these bones have been trod on and broken since they fell here in this cave.  The damage done since then has destroyed many of the clues that might have helped Giles but here he sees a thick long bone like a leg of a large animal and the skull that Pierce has pointed out is more of a small plate of forehead with a cavernous eye socket.  Most of the rest has been broken away to shards or at least pieces small enough to be too difficult to tell by themselves alone.

OOC:  You've spent a minute or two glancing over the bones and haven't really gotten a whole lot of information of interest.  If you want to explore further, let me know whether you want to take the left passage or the right one.

Giles purposefully hmmed and ahhed over the bones and though he couldn't really glean any information from them he at least let the others think that he was working through some things. It was always better to appear like you could contribute something.

"Okay, lets check a bit further, first down this corridor and then we'll try the other. Enough to see if there's anything else but not too deep, we don't want to get lost in here  he offered.


OOC: Sorry, have been away for a couple of days, will move onto the next bit and then write something more substantial in response to the next one

Giles looks down the passage going to the left that Edenburg had been guarding.  He was loathe to get too far entrenched in this cave to remember the way back out, but for now the whole idea seemed a happy distraction.  It kept all three of them away from the Lieutenant for now, and who knows, perhaps they would come across something that could benefit them or the fort?

The walk down the next passage is short, it bends sharply down to the left and then opens back up to the right into another small chamber.  There are remnants that look like old furniture here and there, a broken chair, a splintered table...  As they get closer Giles can make out against the back wall what looks like a small spring that is gushing up into a small pond in the cave, rippling the surface in a constant churn which reflects the torchlight happily back up into the cavern.  The puddle is perhaps only a few feet wide in each dimension and it is impossible to tell how deep.

Left Passage

Giles sucked on his teeth as they walked into the chamber. He had felt the dryness in his mouth become more and more noticable and could feel the pulse of his own heartbeat in his ears. He wasn't entirely sure for what reason he'd be nervous, perhaps a combination of the new role as leader of this small group or the memory of the bush wolves that rang loudly in memory.

A whisper escaped his mouth "Deeper than I like...

As they entered the cavern the sound of rushing water hit Giles ears and in such an alien world it felt reassuring. "Have a look round... lets see what's in here he said after having made a quick appraisal of the room's emptiness.

Giles and his two corporals fan their way around the room, looking for something amidst the emptiness.  Giles moves towards the north and the small pond.  As he gets closer, he can tell that the water is not very deep and there in the middle...

Giles takes a step into the small puddle, the water coming up close to his ankle as he reaches into the center.  What he pulls out is a small bag that jingles merrily.  Stepping back out of the pond, he fumbles with the string and finds inside a small pouch containing silver and copper coin!

OOC:  You don't recognize the coins, although you would guess them to be of Wazifi make.  based on the weight and amount of silver, you would guess their worth somewhere around $100.  Just for your info, the pond is fed by an underground spring rather than a rushing waterfall like in the picture so it is for the most part silent, although the pond is shallow enough for the flow of the water to ripple the surface.

Giles looked at the coins and inspected them, trying to look and capture the glint of the arabic script in the light. He was more focussed on this than the cool water around his ankles, but as he stepped out he flicked his feet to get rid of some of the excess.

"That water looks like it's fed by a spring, probably drinkable if you wanted to fill your skins". As he said it he invited the others into come and look at the coins.

"Are these Wazifi?

We can divvy them up later but I wonder why they're here. It would suggest that some of those people had been here and put the coins here. Not sure when this place was last used but we better keep our eyes out for the rest of the patrol.

 

Pierce brings the torch over closer to Giles to take a look at the coins. "I'd say they look Wazifi.  Dirham, I think they're called"  He points at the small silver ones.  "They must have been there for a bit, the copper's nearly solid green with rust."

OOC:  The copper and silver are both heavily oxidized, the copper greening and the silver going black.  Neither of the two corporals have found anything in the room that wasn't obvious at the first.

"Are they still worth anything like this? his familiarity with Wazifi coin in the empire of Megalos was somewhat limited. He knew that people back from his home province would use and trade in northman wares but generally they were considered to be inferior and held in lower regard. A coin of the north was worth less than something similar for a Megalan coin. It was as it should be, he thought.

Once you're done with that water, we'll go look at the other tunnel and then we can get out of here. A bit of coin might ease the Lieutenant's critique he offered.

"Yeah, I reckon that if you polish them up they'll be just like new.  Probably won't even need to do that, I'm sure they'll go for value down south or you could trade them in up in Raphael for close to face value as is."

Giles pulls the ties on the small pouch, closing the bag, and tying it to his hip letting the wet cloth dry somewhat in the open.  The small party make their way back to the main opening, then down the passageway to the right.  Giles again goes first, letting Pierce go immediately behind him with the light, and Edenburg in the rear, though he has now put his bow back in favor of an axe with the tight quarters.

the tunnel bends much like Giles had seen, it narrows to just wide enough for a single person going first right and then curing sharply back to the left.  Giles picks his way forward carefully.

OOC:  Roll vs. Observation.

Right Passage

"That's good then, here... We'll divvy it up properly later" he said flicking each of them a coin before heading out the other way into the other tunnel. He wasn't sure how much the money was worth exactly, he suspected not a life changing amount and so Giles smiled inwardly as he suspected that the gesture itself would be more valuable than the gold. It seemed odd that he felt so little of the urgency to get gold and money in his life, it could have been that he was raised in a wealthy noble family and then educated in the arcane - both of which left little wanting for such things. Ultimately, he had heard of the greed of people and their desire for more and more and Giles felt a moment of confusion, power was power but money was just a limited proxy for it.

"To each their own" he said to himself quietly.


As they walked the Half-elf was careful not to make too much noise and even noticed that he had unwittingly slowed his breathing with caution. Stepping forward he reached his arm out across the others to signal that he would go first - another little gesture might be helpful-  and then he stepped forward with his weapon held high enough to block anything that might rush him.

[7 blank lines suppressed]


OOC:

He'll give them around 25$ if that can be managed in a coin

12:37, Today: Giles 'J'naeth' Hind rolled 10 using 3d6.  Obs.

Giles makes his way around the sharp corner in the tunnel of the right hand fork, making his way carefully with his weapon raised.  As he and Pierce behind him round the sharp bend, he is able to start making out small details of the room beyond.  It seems to be a wider hallways, perhaps up to five shoulder widths wide.  The torchlight just creeps out beyond the entrance, where the ceiling is discolored brown and seems to be smoother than the other walls or ceiling.  On the floor just at the tip of his vision, Giles can just make out the colors of a rug rolled out on the floor along the right hand side and a small colorful mound that seems to emerge on top.

OOC:  The map isn't entirely accurate, so please disregard all the people/statues drawn into the picture.  Instead, there is a rug that starts about halfway up the room which is about four yards in width that continues up to the top of the room, which you can't see yet.  The 'mound' is about a yard and a half to two yards wide and shimmers with a certain luminescence.  Please let me know if you want to head into the room and make a stealth roll if desired.

Hallway